The Best Crab Roll Recipe
Indulge in the ultimate crab roll recipe experience! The perfect mixture of fresh crab meat, zesty mayo and veggies all deliciously packed between two slices of garlic bread.
We just returned from an epic salmon fishing trip out of Prince Rupert and came home with a freezer full of fresh seafood! No, seriously, we had our small freezer strapped to the back of the truck, full of fish, during the sixteen hour drive home.
This year we lucked out with a fairly decent amount of fresh crab caught during our charter. The crab pots yielded nine dungeness and two red rock crab, enough to make processing the crab and hauling it home totally worth it!
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After setting up a red neck propane stove and large pot processing station on the tailgate of my truck in an alley in Prince Rupert (I can’t make this stuff up), we were ready to load up our catch and brainstorm recipe ideas on the long drive home.
We caught salmon, halibut, cod and spot prawns too – stay tuned for many more recipes from our haul!
Crab Rolls Recipe
Today’s West Coast crab recipe is one that is inspired by our love for lobster rolls and our favorite local food truck, the Lobster Pot. Getting Atlantic lobster way out here on the West Coast is a challenge, not to mention expensive, but these guys make this lobster taste like it’s fresh off the boat and absolutely delicious!
So we took that flavor profile and decided to pair it with our fresh crab meat for a West Coast take on the iconic New England lobster rolls.
Traditional crab rolls are often made with old bay seasoning, a classic from my childhood, which is sprinkled on crab salad and served in hot dog buns. We decided to elevate this classic crab sandwich to make it a dish that you are going to want to enjoy over and over again!
Ingredients
- Cooked crab meat, frozen or fresh from two medium, two pound crabs – you can often find jumbo lump crab meat in the seafood section at your local grocer.
- Celery, minced
- Mayonnaise, we like to use Miracle Whip for an added zip!
- Green onion, finely diced – fresh chives could be used as well.
- Lemon juice & lemon zest
- Salt
- Loaf french bread – key to elevating this crab roll to the next level!
- Butter, room temperature
- Garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
1. Add 4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 the garlic to a large skillet. Heat to medium and when the butter has melted, remove from heat, add crab meat and toss to coat the meat in garlic butter.
2. In a medium bowl combine celery, green onion, mayo, lemon juice, zest and salt. Mix well.
3. Add crab meat to the bowl and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, cut the ends off the french loaf and then cut it into four slices about 1.5” wide. Cut each of those down the center but not all the way through.
5. In a small bowl combine remaining butter and garlic. Spread the mixture onto both sides of each piece of bread.
6. Use the large skillet to brown and toast the bread on both sides until golden brown.
7. Remove the crab salad mixture from the refrigerator and fill the french bread slices with equal amounts of the crab mixture.
We like to serve these fresh crab rolls with potato chips or air fryer french fries. This make a quick and easy meal that the whole family loves!
After having the kids peel the meat from crab shells for hours when we got home, we were left with four pounds of crab meat! So I have vacuum sealed half of it and put it in the freezer for future recipes. What should we make next?!
Recipe Notes
- Add fresh herbs to your liking – parsley and fresh dill would be good additions.
- Hot sauce may be added to the crab salad to taste for an extra kick.
- Avoid using imitation crab meat, it’s just not the same!
Be sure to check out more of our favorite seafood recipes like this lemon grilled salmon, halibut fish tacos or garlic butter shrimp.
If you love this West Coast crab roll recipe, be sure to give it a 5-star rating and share it on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
The Best Crab Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked crab meat frozen or fresh from two medium 2 pound crabs
- 1/4 cup celery minced
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise we like to use Miracle Whip too
- 2 Tbsp green onion finely diced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 loaf french bread
- 6 tbsp butter room temperature
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Add 4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 the garlic to a large skillet. Heat to medium and when the butter has melted, remove from heat, add crab meat and toss to coat the meat in garlic butter.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine celery, green onion, mayo, lemon juice, zest and salt. Mix well.
- Add crab meat to the bowl and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, cut the ends off the french loaf and then cut it into four slices about 1.5” wide. Cut each of those down the center but not all the way through.
- In a small bowl combine remaining butter and garlic. Spread the mixture onto both sides of each piece of bread.
- Use the large skillet to brown and toast the bread on both sides.
- Remove the crab salad mixture from the refrigerator and fill the french bread slices with equal amounts of the crab mixture.
Nutrition
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The pic’s just make me crave this even more….absolutely the best way to enjoy fresh crab!!!!
SO good!